A PO retired pastor has begun a movement through ceremonies whose goal is to recognize places where violent deaths have occurred and reclaim them as places of "hope and community."

A blessing ceremony is held at the scene of Kimberly Shine's death
by the Rev. George Larson (left) and others.

BREMERTON

Acts of violence produce "a whole lot of agony," but there are ways
from the community to heal from the hurt, says South Kitsap resident
George Larson.

The retired pastor led a small group of six people in a "moment of
blessing," outside a quaint apartment complex off 11th Avenue, the site
of the brutal murder of Bremerton resident Kimberly Ann Shine on Dec.
27, 2006.

It's Larson's fourth such blessing in Kitsap County, composed of
some simple scripture readings and a short ceremony aimed at taking
back "a place of violence and death" -- in this case Shine's slaying
with an ax by her brother, William Ame Windsor -- and reclaiming it as
a "place of life, community and hope."

"Daily we are inundated with news of horrible things happening and
people saying 'I never thought this could happen,'" Larson said. "But
people have not been empowered to do something positive where someone
has chosen to make it a very negative place."

Larson learned about the ceremonies from ones held in neighboring
Pierce County, and said he noticed therapeutic impacts on communities
rocked by violent deaths. He held his first one in Kitsap last year
after a deceased baby was found on the side of Bielmeier Road April
5.

The baby's parent or parents have still never come forward, but
Larson hopes that holding a ceremony near the site helped heal some
emotional wounds for people asking "why?"

He also held two other events after back-to-back suicides of two
teens in North Kitsap.

At his fourth such event, cut pieces of a fir tree were dipped in
water and splashed toward each of the six in attendance. Larson also
displayed a bamboo pole with streamers of the four who he's held
ceremonies for.

Given the event's intimacy, everyone got a chance to speak. One
point hit home by Elizabeth Engel, current pastor at Life Lutheran
Church in South Kitsap, was that while life goes on after the news of
Shines' murder fades, those closest to it still feel the impacts
intensely.

"We're saying it still matters," Engel said.

Windsor, who pleaded guilty to Shine's death in early January, will
be sentenced in Kitsap County Superior Court next Monday.

More at the Forum: How Do Communities Heal?

Areas rocked by violent death eventually move on, but retired pastor
George Larson wants to help the healing process. What's the best way to
do that?